


Star Ocean: Second Evolution - Expel

by PureStream



Series: Star Ocean 2 Novel [1]
Category: Star Ocean: The Second Story | Second Evolution
Genre: F/M, Gen, Novelization
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-29
Updated: 2017-06-22
Packaged: 2018-11-06 11:14:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11035047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PureStream/pseuds/PureStream
Summary: A two-part novelization of Star Ocean: Second Evolution. Follows the Second Evolution script, but scenes will be added or expanded on. The first part follows Claude's POV as he arrives on Expel via accident, searches for a way home while also helping to investigate the Sorcery Globe with Rena.





	1. Silent Universe

Arcura system, Planet 4, S.D. 366. A small meteoroid has begun to enter the planet’s atmosphere.

High readings of energy can be detected from the meteor. Its appearance seems to be that of a blue sphere, of unknown substance, surrounded by green energy and numerous brown plates, also of unknown material. The plates seem to be converging at the front area, where the aerodynamic heating is greatest. No ablation being detected so far. It seems that the purpose of those plates is to protect the blue sphere inside.

Meteor has now collided with Planet 4. Analyzing area. Shockwaves estimated to be in-between 10 to 20 square kilometers.

Yes, signs of lifeforms are being detected. Atmosphere shows to be breathable. Investigation may be possible, but we must wait for the analysis.

Analysis complete. Lifeforms proven to be sentient and humanoid in appearance... but level of technology appears to be low. Conducting a field investigation would be in violation of the Underdeveloped Planet Preservation Pact.

No sir, the meteorite landed in a populated area. It is impossible to conduct field work without risk of contact.

Yes, there is nothing that can be done.

...Understood. Filing report for the Pangalactic Federation.

_Data Report 03426: Day XX/Month 0X/Year 366. Unusual meteorite of unidentifiable material has made impact with Planet 4 of the Arcura system, in the Theta Sector. High energy levels detected, and the meteor showed no signs of ablation during its trajectory, but cannot be certain. Unfortunately, Planet 4 has been confirmed to be an underdeveloped world, so no further investigation can be conducted._


	2. Oppressed Feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone reading this, my name is Jackie. I've decided to take a stab at writing this story. This is gonna be split into two parts, Expel and Nede. The Expel section will follow the POV of Claude, while the Nede part will be from Rena's. But there will be times we'll still follow Rena's story in Expel, and vice versa.
> 
> Hope you enjoy my take on things. We're in for a long journey.

Space, the realm of infinite possibility. It has long inspired the dreams of billions. These dreams, countless in number, spread infinitely throughout the universe…though some of these dreams are nightmares.

A race of sentient beings from Planet Lezonia, discovered in Sector Gamma, declared war on the Terran Alliance, igniting the flames of ferocious warfare across the galaxy.

S.D. 342. The battleship Calnus received a commendation for excellence in command for its victory in the battle against Lezonia.

S.D. 346. The captain of the Calnus and his second-in-command successfully contained a mysterious virus outbreak on the undeveloped frontier planet, Roak. They were also able to prevent the tyrannical Jie Revorse’s diabolical plan to conquer Earth.

Thanks to his achievements, my father was promoted to admiral at the unprecedented young age of 38.

I respected him more than anybody else in my life. I know that being a Federation officer is among the greatest accomplishments anyone can hope to achieve in this universe.

But I am my own man. I’m no puppet; I’m not just the son of Admiral Ronyx J. Kenny, hero of the Pangalactic Federation.

So what am I doing here, of all places?

 

“How’s it look? Any change from the pre-landing scans?”

The officer nearest my father spoke, “None at all, sir. The field resembles a magnetic energy field somewhat, but its exact nature is still uncertain at the moment.”

“Hmm… So it’s possible that it’s absorbing all the waves from the sensors? All right. Let’s try running a spectral analysis on the magnetic waves the field is emitting.”

“Yes, sir.” The officer took leave to return to the ship. And that’s when Dad turned to me.

“Claude, you’re a ranking officer now. Use this to protect everyone if something happens.”

He pulled out the phase gun meant for me, and I took it. This was it, the moment I truly become an officer. I thought I’d been prepared thanks to the training simulations, but holding a real gun in my hands…it hadn’t registered with me.

“What’s wrong? Nervous?”

“No… not exactly, sir…”

“Heh heh. Don’t tell me you’re already quaking in your boots, Claude. It’s not the kind of behavior I expect from an ensign.”

“……” What did he expect from me, then? This was my first real space mission, and he assigned it to me out of nowhere. My main duty was to assist him on the front deck, but then he decided to join the field crew on planet Milokeenia, and ordered that I should come with him. I hadn’t been prepared to explore planets right away, so how could I be anything _but_ nervous?

“Don’t be afraid to pull the trigger. It might just save your life.”

…I just nodded. No point arguing with your dad when he’s also your boss.

Right then, the officer hurried back to us. “No good, Admiral. There’s no match with anything in our databases.”

“Is that right? All right, let’s get a closer look at it then.”

Everyone began to walk towards it. “It” being a large back dome, the only architecture on this desolate planet. The high wind velocity battered against our frames, but we were representatives of the Pangalactic Federation. Nothing would hold us back.

We soon made our way to a large black door, the entrance to the large black dome.

“What can this possibly be? Just why would anyone build something like this…here?” Well Dad, isn’t that what we’re supposed to figure out?

“We’ll need to find a way into the dome first,” said his closest officer.

“You’re right. All crew, spread out and investigate the area.”

We spread out, each of the crew going to a separate area.

“Stay alert, people. Safety is of the utmost priority.”

Everyone started to get to work. Guess I should find my own spot to explore, since everyone was focused on their own task. I didn’t have any special tools with me, besides my gun and standard-issue communicator. Neither of those would help me here, though, so I felt awkward just walking around while everyone was busy.

“Hmm?” My eye caught something. It was a bit out of the way, but there was some sort of black object on the left side of the door. Upon closer inspection, there seemed to be…?!

“Dad…er, Admiral!”

“What is it, Claude?”

Everyone’s attention turned to me, and they gathered around me.

“Did you find something?”

“Yes, Admiral. I think this is some type of control device. Maybe it’ll open up an entrance into the dome.”

“Hmm. Good job, Claude. Just as I expected.”

All the crews’ eyes fell on us. They didn’t say anything, but…they didn’t have to. I knew what they were all thinking.

Everyone has been faithfully conducting their duties, following Dad’s orders to the letter. Yet I do one thing, finding an old control panel, and I’m the one who receives praise.

Because I’m the Admiral’s son.

He turned to his science officer. “How does it look? Think you can figure it out?”

Dad, please, read the atmosphere!

“Just give me a little more time and I should be able to…”

Some press of buttons, a little trial and error, and soon the door phased open.

“…Got it! It’s opened.”

The officer walked to the front of the entrance, observing what he could of the inside.

“How’s it look in there?”

“I don’t see any sensors or security measures at the entrance. Beyond that, I can’t say anything until we actually go inside.”

“All right. Let’s proceed inward and begin with the investigation. Look alive, everyone. We don’t know what we’ll find inside.”

Dad started to lead the way, everyone behind him, with me behind everyone else.

 

Once inside, the crew split up again, focusing on different parts of the dome. Most of the place was rubble, but what few technologies we found was very advanced. It was easy to surmise that this place used to be home to a highly-advanced civilization, with tools so advanced even we couldn’t recognize their purpose. The question was, why was this the only place left standing, while the rest of the planet was otherwise empty? What could have happened?

Maybe I should explore one of the areas no one’s touched yet. But where?

In the distance, I saw one place no one was at. It seemed there was a device there. Huh, why did no one go there yet? Any technology we find should be worth looking into. Well, if no one else is there, I might as well take a look at it myself.

But my Dad disagreed. “Don’t be careless, Claude. Wait till we figure out what that thing is before you go near it.”

I turned to the Admiral. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing special. I’ll be fine.”

The science officer also stepped in. “Stop, don’t go any closer. We still don’t know what that device is capable of.”

C’mon guys, it’s not like I’m gonna turn it on. Besides, it’s old technology. It shouldn’t be able to.

“Claude! Get back here! Stay away from that thing!”

I fumed. What was that you were saying about quaking in my boots, Dad? You expect a lowly ensign like me to be brave for you, but when you act cowardly it’s okay because you’re an _Admiral_?

“Claude!”

To hell with it. I didn’t wanna listen anymore.

“How’re we supposed to accomplish anything if you’re going to be that scared!?” I yelled to Dad.

I observed the device. It had a screen, and looked portable. And it wasn’t turned on. It was fine. Everything was fine.

I looked back at Dad. “Look, there’s no danger at all.”

_“Coordinates…214…3-68…97-78… 1.”_

From behind me, a female computerized voice spoke a series of numbers.

“What?” The hell was happening?

I turned around. The device…it was on? And above me was…some kind of wormhole?

_“Opening…gate.”_

“What—no!!” But it was too late. The gate drew me in. I flailed around, trying to escape. I saw Dad and the science officer noticing my plight.

No no no no NO! I can’t die!

“Aaaggghhh!”

 

After Claude had disappeared, the gate closed without a trace.

“He…he’s gone…”

“Claude!”

“Admiral! Please don’t!” said the science officer, keeping Ronyx from approaching the device.

Teeth grit, Ronyx reluctantly complied. He knew, if he was dragged to wherever Claude went, his crew would be stranded.

“No it’s…it’s all my fault.”

The crew stared, both at him and the mysterious device. There was nothing they could say to him. Loss of officers was common in these explorations, but to lose family...no words they offered would reach him.


	3. The Sacred Forest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry for taking so long. It's been a rough week, and writing this chapter took longer than expected. I actually had portions of this written ahead of time, but they were garbage, so I had to rewrite a ton. And unfortunately the same can be said for Chapter 4.
> 
> Anyway, we reached the true beginning of this story at last, so enjoy.

Did it happen for a reason, or was it merely a quirk of fate?

When people think of epic tales, they usually assume they start in places of most importance. A large kingdom, perhaps, whose prince trains daily to slay a great evil. A manor of a rich man, using his superior education to navigate the stars in search of important treasure. Or perhaps his daughter, enjoying her holiday in the tea garden, until a handsome stranger swoops in to win her love. In short, romantic tales that string the emotions of the heart, are assumed to take place in romantic locations. Ironically, such notions are spread by people whose hearts have been dulled from living an "ordinary" life, in an "ordinary" place.

Here on the world of Expel, there existed three kingdoms: Krosse, Lacuer, and Ell. Of the three, Krosse was the largest in size, possessing the most settlements. One of those settlements was Arlia, a quiet rural village south of the actual kingdom. Most people's view of the town was "backwater" or "the sticks"; a little town where nothing important happened. But unbeknownst to all, even the local dwellers, an epic was about to begin.

And it started when Rena, a young girl living in Arlia, decided to go to the forest again.

“I’m leaving, bye!” she called, and hurried out the door.

“Hold on just a minute!”

Internally, Rena groaned. She’d hoped to be fast enough to escape her mother in time. But her mother’s voice stopped her in place.

“What, Mom?” she said.

Westa, her mother, placed her hands on her hips. “Don’t you ‘What, Mom?’ me! How about taking a break for once today? You were just there yesterday and the day before that.”

Rena happily twirled around, making her skirt all aflutter. “I know, but it’s just that being there makes me feel so calm.”

And in a desperate move, Rena put on her cutest kicked-puppy face. “C’mon, why can’t I go?”

But Westa had grown accustomed to her daughter’s own guiles, and would not be swayed. “Because I said so. Do I have to remind you about all the crazy things going on since that Sorcery Globe crashed down on us? Just last night, we had a huge earthquake. The animals are all going wild--”

As she prattled on, Rena just grew more irritated. Yes, things have gotten more dangerous since the Sorcery Globe landed, but she didn’t _want_ to be reminded right now.

“Besides, there’s also—“

“See you later!” Rena said in her most cheery voice, beating a quick escape.

“Ah! W-wait a minute!” But Rena was already gone. And she was just about to inform her that a few eyewitnesses caught sight of an ominous sphere of light descending into the Sacred Forest.

“Oh, that child… What she sees in the Sacred Forest is beyond me.”

Now in the northern part of town, Rena stepped back for a breath of air, smoothing her skirt out.

“Whew, that was close.”

After taking care of any ruffles in her skirt, she quickly checked her golden crescent moon hairpin, glad that it hadn’t fallen off.

“Why does my Mom always have to harp on me like that?”

And lastly, she made sure her precious blue pendant was still around her neck. The pendant was her most important treasure, and losing it would be completely devastating. Thankfully, it was there, so it was all okay.

“I better get to the Sacred Forest quick. I don’t want her to catch me again.”

Everything important checked, she began to run to the west side of town. From there, she would head south until she reached the bridge to the Sacred Forest.

Her red cape billowed in the wind as she ran.

 

“Ughh.”

Warm sunlight shone on my face, and my eyes slowly blinked open.

“What…happened…?” So many trees…did I fall asleep in the Holodeck?

A memory flashed past, of a device and bright light.

“Oh, that’s right!” I sat straight up. “I was on Milokeenia with Dad…and then that light swallowed me up.”

So that device must have brought me here. But, in that case…

“Where the hell am I?”

As I got up, all I could see around me was trees. No transporter. No other signs of technology present. Just an endless sea of greenery, filled with rays of sunlight.

“Dad!? Dad!!...Where is everyone!?”

No answer. Nothing. The only answers to my calls were birds.

“Hey, I still have my communicator!”

I quickly grabbed it from my pocket, and entered the emergency number. I held it to my ear.

_“OUT OF RANGE.”_

Shit. “…It’s no good. I can’t get a signal.”

 _Now_ I felt scared. The communicator was supposed to work even at long distances. If I wasn’t getting an answer, that means wherever that device sent me was far out in the galaxy.

“So where am I? Where did I get sent to?”

Depending on where I was, it could be months before Dad, or anyone, picks up my distress signal and goes looking for me. And that’s if I’m lucky. For all I know, this could be outside the Milky Way, and thus an uncharted planet. I heaved a sigh.

“…Well, I can’t just sit around here and do nothing. I need to find out where I am right away…” I started walking. No use dwelling on my mistakes, not when my survival is what matters now.

“…From the looks of it, this place might be some kind of underdeveloped planet. Where could I possibly be?”

 

From the opposite direction of Claude, young Rena strolled happily among the trees, her feet making a pleasant sound under the grass.

“Whew. Something about the Sacred Forest just makes me feel refreshed. I think I’ll try going in a little further today.”

As she wandered further in, the forest seemed to dim, but only a little. The sunlight peeking through the green ceiling of leaves were enough to light her way. And the cheery birdsong lifted her mood.

“It’s so pretty~.”

Her mother’s words came to mind, to not go into the forest, and she pouted. “I really wish my mother wouldn’t worry so much about me.”

But she wouldn’t let her mother get her down, not while she was enjoying her rendezvous to the fullest. She began to skip merrily along, humming a joyful little tune. “This place couldn’t possibly be any safer ”

 

I’d been walking for a while, and so far there didn’t seem to be any exit—huh?

“That’s…” A voice. It sounded like a girl singing. “There’s someone there.” I followed the sound, and in a moment, I caught sight of a girl with blue hair, wandering through the forest. But I didn’t have time to celebrate my good luck, because right behind her was…!

“Look out! Behind you!!”

My yelling startled her out of her reverie, and she turned around to see what I could only describe as a monstrous demon ape. It moved to swing its arms towards her, and she screamed as she tried to back away…only to fall on her ass.

“Get away!!!” I lunged from the bushes, faster than the ape, and tackled her away from its fists. We rolled away a good distance from it. But it still had its sight on us, so we weren’t out of the danger zone. I got up off the ground, and rushed towards the monster, taking out my phase gun. Instinct took over as my body readied itself into position, my center of gravity preparing for the upcoming whiplash, and my hand covering the one holding the trigger to keep it steady. As a final precaution, I looked back to the girl, still on the ground.

“Go on! Run!”

I could tell she was still scared. But she seemed to understand, as she quickly got up and ran out of the way.

Now all that was left to do was taking care of this beast. Once again, it reared up its fists, ready to attack again. But I wouldn’t let it. I fired the phase gun, and the bright white light of the laser instantly disintegrated the monster, leaving nothing but a trail of smoke.

Good, I did it. I successfully pulled the trigger. I used the phase gun properly in battle. With the adrenaline rush ending, I breathed a sigh of relief. “Phew! Good thing I got there on time.”

Relaxing my hold, I turned towards the girl, who was staring at me…the…entire…time…!

Agh! I shouldn’t have used my Phase Gun… Great. How could I have been so careless? Quick, put it back.

That probably violated the Underdeveloped Planet Preservation Pact. But I had to do it…If I didn’t pull the trigger, I couldn’t have saved that girl.

Speaking of which, she’s still looking at me.

“I…um…” She’s trying to say something, but she looks so nervous. Wonderful. Better try to act casual.

“You all right? That was a close one. By the way, if you don’t mind me asking…” But as I approached, she backed further away until she turned around and broke into a run. “Hey! Wait!” I called, my arm reaching out, but she disappeared into the forest.

“She ran away from me…” Well, no shit, I guess. I did use a scary weapon she’s probably never seen before. Any reasonable person would find me scary…though it’s still depressing.

Anyway, she’s probably heading towards her home, so if I follow her, maybe I’ll find the exit. And along with that, more people. If she’s around, that means there must be a city somewhere on this planet, and it’s not all flowers and trees.

I just hope I can talk to her again, if only to apologize for scaring her.

I continued down the path, the bushes rustling against me.

 

To my surprise, I found her waiting for me. She stood under a large tree branch that hovered over the ground, making it look like a door.

I smiled. “Oh, good! I was hoping you’d wait for me.”

She looked startled to see me, but then she bowed low to the ground. “I’m sorry I ran away like that…”

That was a, bit excessive for an apology. “Oh, n-no, th-that’s okay,” I stammered, feeling my cheeks burning, and waving my hands.

Thankfully, she got up and faced me again. “It’s just that… Everything happened so quickly, I was really shocked.”

Still nervous, still blushing, I scratched the back of my head. “Hah hah! Scary, huh?” God, how do interplanetary diplomats do this? This was way outside my field, and I’d already embarrassed myself enough today.

“Y-yes, a little.” She nodded. “Still, I’m really sorry about all this. You saved me, but I just ran off like that…”

“Nah, don’t worry about it.” Calming down now, I dropped my hand. “Besides, you did stop to wait, didn’t you?”

She seemed to smile at my words. Now that I had a better look at her, she really looked cute. She wasn’t too different from a human, other than her long ears.

Quite suddenly, her face lit up with realization, and she bowed again.

“Oh! I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Rena…Rena Lanford.”

There she went again, overdoing the politeness. “Oh, and uh, I’m Claude… Claude C. Kenny. Pleased.”

“Hee hee… Nice to meet you, Claude-san.” Her cheeks were blushing, somehow making her cuter than I thought possible. Oh man, I’m gonna have to be careful. Pretty sure dating girls from underdeveloped planets are also prohibited by the UP3.

“So, Mr. Kenny… Was there something you wanted to ask me earlier?”

Huh? Oh, that’s right. I still had stuff to ask her.

“Oh, right. It’s nothing that important, really, but…”

I scratched my head again. Please, please don’t think this is a weird question.

“…uh, where am I?”

Her answer to that was the most confused expression I’d seen.

 

After several more minutes of walking, we finally exited the forest. (The Sacred Forest, Rena told me.) Despite the initial awkwardness, she seemed determined to help. She was even trying to make conversation.

“Are you a traveler?”

“Uh, something like that, yeah…” It wasn’t wrong, as I had been traveling through space before this.

“Where are you from?”

That one I stalled at. “From…from Earth.”

Rena turned toward me. “…Earth? Where is that?”

Inwardly, I sighed. I figured she wouldn’t know what I’m talking about…

“Well, uh, how can I put it? It’s…It’s really far away from here. Really…really far away. Probably.” There’s no way she’s going to buy that. Hell, even I wouldn’t.

“…A faraway place? I have never even been off this continent. That’s really amazing. Is Earth farther way than Ell?”

“I suppose…yeah.” Wow, that worked? My embarrassing explanation, strange as it sounded, seemed to convince her. I’m kind of amazed at this girl’s innocent.

“It must have been quite a long and difficult journey...” she said, worried. As though I’m a lost kid. Then again, I am lost, so that’s an apt description.

The fact that she saw my gun was unavoidable, but I should still minimize my damages as much as possible. I’d heard stories about what lead to the UP3 to be put in place, and they weren’t ones you should share with your kids at bedtime.

“Mr. Kenny, once we cross this bridge, we’ll be in Arlia,” she said, standing on the bridge itself. I walked up to it. I’d never seen a wooden bridge before; it looked quaint.

“Arlia…is that where you live? But, uh, are you sure it’s alright if I just barge in?” I asked. It wasn’t just out of politeness that I asked. Judging by what I saw, this place also looked underdeveloped. Who knows how they would react to me.

But Rena bowed and answered, “Of course it is. Besides, I need to repay you somehow…”

What a sweet girl. Her genuineness was making me blush again. “No, please! Don’t worry about it! I didn’t do anything that special.” I was having trouble looking straight at her.

“Hee hee! You don’t have to be so modest. It won’t be much—just the least I can offer you. So please.” Her own cheeks were as red as mine, so this must be just as embarrassing for her. It would be rude of me to refuse her offer, and honestly where else could I go?

So she lead the way to the village, while I internally remarked on how even this close to civilization, I could still see the sky.


	4. A Pure Stream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took longer than I thought. I only wanted to add one extra scene, but I wound up expanding on a lot of stuff. Ah well.
> 
> Warnings: underaged drinking at the end.

“Here we are! Welcome to Arlia.” Rena spoke with such enthusiasm, holding out her arms out wide like she was showing me the entire world.

The town had matched my expectations: tiny, with no advanced technology in sight. Even the tallest homes I spotted were only two-story, when I was used to at least six. All the buildings were made from wood, carved in a smooth but simple manner, with pleasing red roofs. There were roads, but they were primitive dirt ones, the ones that horse carriages used to travel down back in ancient Earth days.

All in all, the town was very pretty, like an old painting, but useless. Not that I would say that aloud, not in front of Rena. (UP3 or not, that’s just rude.) But the lack of machines didn’t put me at ease. Was I going to be alright here?

A stream cut through the town, with water so clear I had to take a closer look, just to confirm that it wasn’t a trick. And the air…the scent of the grass, the moisture from the river, and the rich smell of the earth…I breathed it all in deeply, and exhaled with enjoyment.

No smoke, no smog, and no xenon gases. Because of all the pollution, very few places on Earth could boast that quality. Sure, the air on Calnus was cleaner than on Earth, but the air on this planet felt less…sterile. “I haven’t breathed air this clean in a long time,” I spoke to myself, awed by the phenomenon I was experiencing.

“What do you mean by clean air? Is there such a thing as dirty air?”

Oh, whoops. But it’s not like I explained what produced the dirty air, so it’s fine, right? “Yeah. It’s sure dirty where I come from, anyway,” I said, a little self-consciously.

Now she looked at me with concern. “Really? I don’t think I would like that.”

I smiled. “I don’t think so either. This feels a thousand times better…” And it was. I felt like I could jog an extra kilo now.

She laughed. “Well, there’s plenty of clean air here, so breathe as much as you please,” she said so cheerfully that I laughed in reply.

 

Rena took me on a tour of the town, introducing me to each of the villagers, their personalities, and their function in the village. For example:

“This is the Velding Church. We hold wedding ceremonies and other important events in there. Father Marshall is a very hardworking man. He’s always there for us if there’s something we need to talk about.”

“This house is home to a newlywed couple. They’re so in love with each other, it’s almost embarrassing to watch.”

Something like that. We would even stop and talk to random people out for a stroll, to whom Rena greeted with the same friendliness. And they answered back in kind. Although, some made the wrong assumption about me, thinking I was her new boyfriend.

“No, please don’t misunderstand! Mr. Kenny is just an important friend of mine.” But her embarrassment only brought on further teasing, which only made her more frustrated. Even the newlyweds asked me to take good care of her, which…I admit I said yes, I would. That earned me a death glare from her, so I didn’t tease her after that.

Ah well, it’s not like I was serious about it. It was just easier than standing around, wondering what the villagers might be really thinking of me. My frizzy blond hair, kept in place with my red headband, made me stand out enough. But the problem was my outfit. My tan Federation jacket, complete with insignia, stood against the simpler clothes of the villagers. So far, no one had asked, not even Rena, but…yeah, it’s better if I let Rena do the talking.

 

At the front gate, there was a kid hanging around. “This is Lucian. He likes to think of himself as Arlia’s protector, so he watches for travelers at the entrance.”

“Hey, Rena?” Lucian asked. “How come Allen doesn’t come around here no more?”

“Allen?” Rena gave pause, putting a finger delicately on her lip, and cocking her head. “Hmm, come to think of it, I haven’t seen him around in a while.”

“Hey, Rena? Who’s this Allen guy?” I asked.

“Oh, he’s just a childhood friend of mine.” She pointed past the exit. “He lives in Salva, the town just north of here.”

“Oh...” Not much more to that, I guess. But good to know there were other towns close-by.

 

“This is Arlia Goods. They sell all kinds of useful things for everyone.”

“Certainly smells good,” I said, certainly not intending any puns.

Rena just smiled. “Those are the herbs you’re smelling, actually.”

“The herbs...?” I hadn’t smelled herbs like these before. They must be native to this planet.

“Medicine that heals wounds. You know? Can’t leave on a journey without them.”

“Oh…herbs as medicine? I didn’t know that.” I was familiar with herbs as food. My mother sometimes liked to buy whole bunches of oregano or basil whenever she decided to cook. The results…weren’t always delicious.

“You didn’t?” Her hand covered her mouth in shock.

“Nope,” I told her flatly, not wanting to elaborate. I must have blown her mind, judging from how she looked at me with awe.

“I’m amazed you’re still alive.”

Well…considering my circumstances, yes, I guess it was amazing.

 

We approached the easternmost house of the village.

“This is the home of the mayor of Arlia. He’s a really knowledgeable guy, but…he doesn’t seem to be in right now.”

In the middle of her talking, two children, a boy and a girl respectively, ran towards us.

“Hey, Big Sis!”

“Big Sister Rena.”

They each took Rena’s hands, clinging onto her like magnets on a fridge. Rena twirled around with them as they laughed happily.

“Hello, you two. Is your dad working today?”

The girl answered, “Yeah, he hasn’t been back in two weeks.”

Two weeks?

“But don’t worry! I’ll look after my sister while he’s away,” the boy stated proudly.

“Yeah, I’m not lonely at all. I’ve got my brother, and you always come to play with us too!” the girl chattered happily.

The boy looked at Rena expectantly. “Are you gonna tell us that story?”

Rena gave a sad smile. “I’m so sorry, but I’m a bit busy today. I promise you that I will next time though!” Initially they looked disappointed, but the promise of “next time” seemed to placate them.

“All right.”

“Okay. You promised!”

With that made, the two bounded off to the house north of us.

“That is home of the town carpenter and his family. He’s got a big job in the next town over right now, so I don’t see him at home very much these days.”

“So the two kids are here by themselves?” I mean, I’m not one to talk, but that sounds harsh, given that this planet has less security.

“That’s right, those poor kids. I try to visit them to chat as often as I can.”

Oh, that was a relief. Even if it’s because of work, kids being left alone by themselves didn’t sit right with me. “That’s pretty nice of you, Rena.”

That took her aback, as she covered her mouth again. “Oh, not at all. I try.”

Not at all? The sincere way she said that was so cute, I laughed. But she just glared again.

“What? Oh, come on!” she huffed.

 

Our last stop was the house sitting in the center of the village. It immediately stood out, as unlike the other houses and their partially-faded red roofs, this one’s was blue.

“Well, here’s my house. Would you mind waiting here a second? I need to clean up the place a bit.”

I nodded. “Sure.”

“I’ll be right back, okay?” She entered her house, leaving me standing outside. So I waited, hands in my pockets, one of which contained my communicator.

Still no response from Dad, but at least it’s fulfilling its second job effectively. In addition to high-distance communication even from space, the communicator also acts as a literal universal translator, allowing me to talk to Rena and the other natives with ease. Sometimes there’s issues with syntax or grammar, but in this case, everything went smoothly. I’m counting my lucky stars, given that this an uncharted planet.

But I should probably hold off on counting, until I get home.

Speaking of homes, Rena still hasn’t come outside hers. She said “right back”, but it’s been a while, and I could make out two voices arguing. Is everything okay in there? “She said to wait, but it sounds like there’s some trouble in there.” Mustering up my courage, I opened the door.

Inside I found Rena, talking with an older woman.

“So where is he right now?” the woman spoke first. She must be Rena’s mother, as she also had blue hair but longer. She also wore a simple housedress with an apron.

“Well, I told him to wait outside…” Rena answered. But at that moment, the older woman saw me, her eyes widening in shock.

“R-Rena…wait a minute.”

“Huh?”

Crap, I hadn’t meant to interrupt them. “Um, excuse me…” I said again, feeling like a goof.

Rena turned to me, and gave a startled gasp. “Mr. Kenny, is everything alright?”

“Ah. Uh, it’s been a while since you left me, so I was just wondering what’s up…” Oh man, how many more blunders am I going to make today? I feel so lame.

Rena didn’t seem to notice. In fact, she seemed more nervous than me. “Oh! My apologies. Would you wait outside for me just a little bit longer? We still have more work to do.”

“Uh, sure. Do you mind if I walk around a little?” I didn’t want to just stand around feeling awkward, especially in a place I didn’t know. Someone might get the wrong idea and mistake me for a stalker.

“Oh, please do. Go ahead.” And with that, I was shooed back outside.

 

I sighed.

“It’s probably not a good idea to get too involved with the locals. I better try to find a way back… It’s a long shot, but maybe the villagers will have something helpful to tell me. Excuse me!” I called over one of the men walking by.

“Yeah? Do you need something?”

“Yeah, I’m looking for a spaceship. Have you seen one?”

“Spayship? What are you talking about?”

“Ah…never mind, sorry.”

I knew there weren’t any spaceships here, that much was obvious. But I had hoped that he would at least recognize the word. Because if he could, that meant they existed here and I could ride one home.

Unfortunately, nothing turned up. Nobody I asked recognized the words “spayship” or Milokeenia. The most useful information I got was that Arlia was on the southern part of Krosse continent. There was also talk about a story called the “Hero of Light,” but that wasn’t relevant at all.

If there was any bright side, it’s that no one bothered me about my clothes. I guess, for how different they are, they’re plain enough to not be a problem.

After some time, I reached the southern part of town. “Hmm, I think that was everyone. But as I thought, nobody had anything useful for getting home. I’m starting to wonder if it’s even possible.” Just then, something cold and wet touched my palm. I recoiled, until I saw that it was a dog. Wait, a dog?

“Oh, hey there. Trying to cheer me up?” My fingers brushed through its silky brown fur, and it tried to pounce on me but couldn’t, because of its small size. So it started licking my hand. “Ha ha, I can’t believe it. There are dogs here too? Who would have thought?”

“What do you mean by ‘too’?”

“Ah?!” I turned to see Rena in front of us. My mind instantly scrambled to explain, but she just smiled and readjusted her hairpin.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Kenny.”

 

“Mom, I’m back.”

“Hello,” I hailed.

“Rena, I wasn’t expecting you two to be back so early. Just in time, though, I was just finishing up everything.”

“Finishing up…what?” Rena said, puzzled. Come to think of it, the house smells different from before.

Rena and I entered the kitchen and…holy crap! Laid out on the table was a feast. Chicken and meat, veggies and fruit, a cake and even wine were all carefully arranged. The silverware shone brilliantly too. In short, it was the most impressive meal I’d ever laid eyes on.

But Rena didn’t share my feelings. “Mom! What’s all this food here for?” she yelled.

Her mom wasn’t fazed. In fact, she looked so proud of herself. “Doesn’t it look delicious? I put all of my best recipes out on that table for you.”

“That’s not what I mean!”

“What? Did I do something wrong? I-I just thought I’d thank Mr. Kenny with a nice meal…”

“I understand that, but…isn’t this a little much?”

Well, yeah, it _was_ a lot of food, and it felt a little weird to be doted on this much. But I’m not complaining, either.

“Is it? He’s pretty young, so I figured he’d have a big appetite. You are hungry, aren’t you, Mr. Kenny?”

She looked at me with such pleading eyes, I couldn’t say no. (Not that I would have; I’m starving.) “Actually, I am, yeah…”

“See? A real man could put all this away, no problem. So eat as much as you like, all right?”

“Uh, thanks.” I still couldn’t handle this village’s generosity. It felt like this goofy grin was permanently etched onto me now. Rena, for her part, still looked annoyed.

“Oh, Mom.”

 

The dinner was so delicious, more so than I anticipated. Was this seriously all made by hand? Calnus had vendors you could order food from, but somehow this felt more impressive.

“Won’t you have the wine, Mr. Kenny?” said Rena’s mother, Westa. I paused amid taking a bite of my bread, to look at the deep red liquid in my cup.

“Thanks ma’am, but no, I’m underaged,” I said, wearing my most polite smile I could muster.

“Huh? Underaged?” she and Rena both said, looked at me with mystified expressions. My insides sank into me.

“Uh, well…you can’t drink alcohol if you’re under 20. At least…where I’m from you can’t. Hah…aha hah hah.” Sheesh, way to go, me.

“We don’t have any rule like that here,” said Rena, looking at me strangely, and holding her own cup.

“How old are you then, Mr.Kenny?” Westa asked me.

“Ah, I’m 19.” Just a year away.

She beamed happily. “Well, I don’t think one year will make a difference. Go ahead and try some.”

Rena looked peeved. “Mom…don’t force him.”

“Eh? I don’t see a problem. The alcohol content isn’t strong, anyway. A man of his physique won’t have trouble downing it.”

“That’s not the issue.” Rena seemed concerned for my sake. I smiled.

“It’s okay, Rena. I’ll give it a try.”

“Yes, please do.” Westa seemed pleased with herself, while once again Rena looked away, miffed.

I held the cup towards me. Steady Claude, you can do this. Mom was always good at holding her liquor, and she always said I took more after her.

I tore through my hesitation, and took a large sip. It was…huh? “This is nice. Tastes more like juice.”

“Doesn’t it. My berry cordial can’t compete against Krosse’s wines, but its flavor is much more pleasant, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, I expected it to be bitter-tasting. This isn’t bad at all. What do you think, Rena?”

“Hnn. Mom’s good at any cooking.” Despite her temperament from earlier, Rena seemed quieter now. Was it the alcohol, or was she still worried about me?

“Rena’s had it many times, although I don’t let her have more than a cupful. It may not be that strong, but I can’t let her develop bad habits. Oh but Mr. Kenny, since you are the guest of honor today, feel free to drink as much as you wish.”

That sounded so tempting right now, but I’ll have to decline. If I get too drunk, I might slip up and out myself as an alien on this planet. “Oh no, it’s fine. One cup is enough for me.”

Rena’s eyes widened a bit. “Claude…”

“My, what a gentleman. Okay, then let’s toast together.” She raised her glass, and Rena and I both raised our cups. "To my daughter's life, and new friendships." Clink.

This planet has no spaceships, rockets, or computers, but the people were kind, they have good food, and booze. I should count my small blessings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not quite what I had in mind for ending this, but I think it works. Next chapter will be more emotional, so stay tuned.


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